


Forgotten Heroes

by AeternusVotum



Category: Original Work
Genre: Action/Adventure, Adventure, Fantasy, Gen, Magic, Original Character(s)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-26
Updated: 2017-07-26
Packaged: 2018-12-07 05:23:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,755
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11616780
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AeternusVotum/pseuds/AeternusVotum
Summary: Who doesn't know the kings and queens of the Old World? So many myths and legends are told about their lives. History books are filled with their deeds, their downfall and the generations after them. But this - this is the story about the heroes who helped those kings and queens to fame. A story with only one left to tell about it ...





	Forgotten Heroes

**Author's Note:**

> AO3 is used to upload the completed chapters which will appear after all parts have been uploaded on tumblr. If you wish to have faster updated, take a look at moonlightfiction.tumblr.com ~  
> Started writing for NaNoWriMo 2015, so plot inconsitencies may occur ...

“The Keres are coming!”

As the message resounded from the watchtower, Charles looked up from the map full of little flags and figures. All lights in the room had been turned off for a while and only the moon lit the table.

His gaze wandered to the lady sitting across from him. She just smiled silently and shrugged. Returning her smile, Charles nodded and looked back at the map.

“We should have enough people here,” he murmured. “Even the group of priest that stayed overnight in town consented to help. We should be able to fight them back without any problems.”

With a small laughter, the lady got up and went to the window. As she looked at the far horizon, she said, “You would be the only one to be so calm when we’re under attack.”

“You don’t seem to be much agitated, either.”

“It’s because I trust your skills, my dear tactician.”

“Without your informants, there would’ve been no way to protect this town.” Charles joined her at the window. Watching the men getting ready for fight, he slightly curled his lips.

“To think that they would pick a random town for attacking. Now they’re getting desperate.”

The lady laughed at those words and shook her head. Her informants had told her about all the little skirmishes at the borders lately. None of them lasted longer than two days anymore and they seemed to be more and more disorganized.

Charles slightly tilted his head as he observed his company. “I think it is time for you to leave, Cecilia. The old men back in the castle would kill me if they knew that I’m allowing my queen to be at the center of the danger.”

“Are you kidding me?” Once more Cecilia laughed. “I’m not going anywhere. What kind of queen would I be if I left my subordinates behind and fled from danger?”

“But,” Charles was interrupted before he could speak his mind.

The doors opened and three people stepped in. The oldest of them bowed slightly and greeted, “Your Majesty, Sir Charles, please pardon me but the preparations are completed. Every commander has a sender and a receiver now.”

“Thank you very much,” the tactician replied while he briefly glanced at Cecilia with a strict look.

Then he looked at the two persons accompanying the colonel. “I assume you are my telepaths for now. The receiver?” – The younger man bowed to him – “And you are the sender.”

“Yes, sir.” The woman curtsied.

Charles nodded and looked out of the window again. “Ah,” he remarked. “There are the priests. They’ve also gotten into position … everyone, prepare for contact.”

As his words were relayed to all the units by the woman with the telepathic talent, soldiers were drawing their weapons.

“Two minutes left.”

As Charles spoke, dark clouds came and swallowed up the moonlight. A smoke-like mass was coming from the horizons accompanied by maniac laughter.

The Keres were known as death-spirits who loved to prey on dying or wounded men but due to the shortage of soldiers during this long war they now were also used as aggressors.

When the light of the town was completely eaten by the menacing presence of the Keres, round shields brighter than the moon started to appear around the soldiers.

Having waited for this, Charles spoke up as soon as the shields were complete, “This is a reminder that these priests were not trained for combat. Since we couldn’t dispatch any healers, we are indebted that they agreed to help us. There are no temple guardians here. Hence, the priest’s security is your top priority. For your own safety, please stay inside the shields.”

A slight tremble went through the tactician’s body and he knew that the Keres had drawn near enough. He took a deep breath and ordered, “Prepare for defense, priests, we’re counting on you. Contact in four … three … two …”

The clash of the Keres’ claws on the weapon’s metal were like glass breaking. The spirit’s laughter merged with the battle cry of the soldiers. Next to the raw shout of strength a serene sound that reached the ears of the people in the room.

A happy sigh came over Cecilia’s lips as she whispered a little prayer, “May the light of our goddess always shine on us.”

Above the sound of battle was the singing of the priests. Hymns filled with the magic of the goddess of light. Blessings that no normal human soul would have been able to cast.

“This is good,” Charles confirmed.

He had had less time to prepare for this attack. But the priests indeed where a blessing by the goddess.

Right now, all the soldiers were really defensive. It might take the whole night to fend off the Keres. Yet they needn’t worry about losses. With the songs of the priests everyone inside of the shields constantly received healing and since it was the daily ritual at the temple, those clerics would not tire out too fast.

“Everything is according to the plan … the Keres won’t be able to break the shield. Under the magic of the goddess their power will weaken, too,” the tactician recited his plan. “Although the priests are officially not allowed to take part in the battles due to the neutral position of our goddess, right now they’re not doing anything else than their praying rituals …”

As Charles briefly looked to his queen, he could see her dazzling smile even though it was only lit by the shields of the clerics. A gentle warmth rushed through his body as he saw the adoring gaze Cecilia gave him.

“This is the third squad, we have a problem here!” suddenly the male telepath’s voice broke the atmosphere.

The colonel, who had been looking at the map with the figures, immediately asked, “What is it?”

“The berserker got impatient and took the offensive!”

“Sai, you idiot!” The colonel rushed to the window to look where the third squad was.

A lone man was breaking through the lines. Swinging an axe, he left the protective shields and started preying on the enemies who were busy trying to overcome the shields.

“Move the priests a bit forward to extend the protection,” Charles ordered quickly. “If he’s getting further, we will have to sacrifice him. The goal of this is to keep as many people alive as possible!”

He looked back to the colonel who hurried to the map again to move the figures accordingly.

From the window Charles analyzed the situation outside and one the map to coordinate everyone accordingly.

He clicked his tongue as he saw that the man named Sai could not be stopped. His gaze went stern as he calmly said, “That’s enough. If he’s not willing to stay safe, that’s everything we ca–”

“Charles!”

Before he could end his sentence, Cecilia grabbed his arm to get his attention.

“Someone’s keeping up with him!”

The lady showed to Sai, who unwaveringly kept on slashing enemies.

“His wounds are being healed; quicker than the hymns would be able to,” she explained.

“Just who …?” Charles started while his eyes searched for the healer. They shouldn’t have had any in the squads and the priests were busy …

Once more Cecilia grabbed his arm. She shouted, “There, the girl with the carmine colored hair!”

As her eyes were much better than the ones of a normal human, it took the tactician a while to find said girl. But indeed, there was that one person in the cleric’s robe who left the designed place for the priests.

“She’s not using any incantations,” the queen told him.

“She’s good!” slipped out of Charles mouth. He quickly turned around and looked at the other woman in the room. “Who is that girl?”

After a few seconds the man next to her answered, “A regular priest-in-training. Her name’s Falenyo. She has exceptional healing skills but lacking other skills she’s not suited to be a high priest.”

“If she can keep up with the berserker … Leave the two of them alone. If the girl is showing any sign of weakening, stop her immediately! But right now … this might be our chance to finish this even faster!”

Trying to stop his hand from trembling, Charles pressed both of his hands against the windowsill. Lowering his voice, he asked his queen, “Is she too young to let her handle the responsibility of one’s life?”

Cecilia stayed quiet for a while as she observed the girl from afar. To the tactician it was like ages before she answered, “She decided herself to keep him alive although it was not her job. She might be still young but …”

She stopped. As the lady’s face became serious, Charles remembered that his queen might be one year older than that priest at most. Ever since the war started, age didn’t matter at all anymore.

“We’re still searching for a suited ambassador, aren’t we?” Cecilia’s sudden question made Charles jerk.

He quickly turned to her and shouted, “You can’t be serious, Cec–” he quickly cleared his throat as he remembered that they weren’t alone, “Your Majesty!”

“Talk to her,” the queen calmly ordered. “You’re not seeing her right now from this far away but I do. So, I want you to talk to her and then decide if she is suited for our cause.”

The room went quiet.

Charles looked at the girl standing before him. He had known her for two years now and she truly had matured ever since she took the position as queen. He could still see how fragile she was but at the same she dared to speak up her mind now.

As it was not possible for him to object anything she said, he just bowed slightly. “As you wish, my queen.”

Again, he was gifted with her dazzling smile when he looked up again. Cecilia nodded at him. She briefly glanced at the battle field but quickly said, “Everything will go to your plan, tactician. I can already see the outcome of this battle, so I’m retreating for now.” The queen turned her head to the remaining people in the room. “I thank you very much, please keep up your hard work.”

In unison, the people in the room bowed down before the lady and said, “Please rest well, Your Majesty.”

Like that the queen had laid her eyes on a young girl who did not know of her fate yet. This was the beginning of a legend which was never to be told again.


End file.
